Political sources said that early next week, former Senate candidate and Manchester attorney Ovide Lamontagne will announce his intention to run for governor.

Analyst James Pindell of WMURPoliticalScoop.com said Lamontagne might be seen as an early favorite.

"A lot of people will look at Ovide Lamontagne, who has been preparing to run for governor for almost a year now, and they'll see him as front-running in this primary, but the truth is there are no front-runners on the Republican or Democratic side," Pindell said.

This would be the second gubernatorial attempt for Lamonatgne, who was the Republican nominee in 1996 before losing to Jeanne Shaheen.

Also moving closer to a run is the head of conservative group Cornerstone. Kevin Smith has recruited GOP strategist Mike Dennehy to help map out a route to the governor's office.

"For a challenger candidate who has never run for a major office before, having a major consultant in this state really gives credibility to his campaign," Pindell said.

One big name who won't be running is state Sen. Jeb Bradley, who countered widespread speculation on Friday by saying he will not run for the Republican nomination.